Understanding parenting stress in autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study exploring differences between mothers and fathers

Background

Parents of autistic children may experience high levels of stress. Prior research implicates child cognitive impairment, emotional and behavioral problems, sociodemographic factors, and autism symptoms as contributors; however, gender differences in parenting stress remain underexplored. This study compared parenting stress between mothers and fathers of autistic children and examined key predictors across stress domains.